I think he wins. He's a household name to guitar players for the guitar with his name on it, but not at all as a person- if he died young and stupidly most would probably know more about him- but he's 93 and playing 2 shows a week in NYC and rocks... but most people dont even know he's a real person let alone still alive.

(i love hendrix/page and most of all EVH so i dont mean it in a bad way to him)Without hendrix there may not be metal... without page there would be no classic rock...and without EVH there would be no shredding

I can't argue over Les Paul's influence as it is certainly abundant, but for debate's sake I would say his influence is more to do with his equipment/procedures inventiveness as opposed to his playing. Jim Marshall had a huge influence on the sound of electric guitar too (even though he was a drummer).

I'm suprised no one argued with me first- but i guess i will start the debate...Hendrix invented messing with a fuzz pedal and whammy bar on acid

I always am amazed when I hear such contempt for his MUSICAL legacy(composition skills), not to like his music and everything he created is one thing, being fed up with "Hendrix=god" as well, but grossly ignoring his (to me) undeniable musical inventivity is beyond me.

I think he injected tons of blues, jazz, funk influences to create an original music which I think represents the synthesis of Rock music.

Do you really think Steve's stage antics are 'camp'? He's a showman all right but I'm not sure his behaviour fits into these two representitive definitions of the word camp that I found online:

providing sophisticated amusement by virtue of having artificially (and vulgarly) mannered or banal or sentimental qualities;

1. banality, mediocrity, artifice, ostentation, etc. so extreme as to amuse or have a perversely sophisticated appeal2. exaggerated effeminate mannerisms, usually affected for amusement

My definition in relation to Mr Vai: Vaguely effeminate mannerisms, sometimes affected for amusement to the degree he probably doesn't realise he's actually doing it most of the time, bit like my mate Nick.

NB:

I do not mean it in the fly on the wall documentry attention seeking puff sort of way.